How JustAnswer Works:

Experts are full of valuable knowledge and are ready to help with any question. Credentials confirmed by a Fortune 500 verification firm.

Get a Professional Answer

Via email, text message, or notification as you wait on our site.Ask follow up questions if you need to.

100% Satisfaction Guarantee

Rate the answer you receive.

Ask Bryan Your Own Question

Bryan, Home Appliance Technician

Category: Appliance

Satisfied Customers: 12146

Experience: 15 yrs. experience as a certified appliance technician.

10522817

Type Your Appliance Question Here...

Bryan is online now

Hi (and in second breath - help - please) We have an amana

Customer Question

Hi (and in second breath - help - please)We have an amana fridge that came with our home when we bought it 6 years ago. The model number is XXXXX S4SW. At the end of July it began freezing our veggies and our water dispenser and then eventually wasn't warm at all and our milk was room temperature like. I unplugged the fridge gave it a defrosting and a thorough cleaning hoping that would do the trick. It began frezzing everything in the fridge right down to the eggs, and pickles and lemon juice - even with the chiller vent and drawer vents closed. I called an appleance repair company who came out and replaced the control board and bimetal. Again within 24 hours my temperature alarm was sounding, the water was frozen and so was my lettuce. I waited a week and called them back. They came back and replaced the thermister (sp?). This is apparently a thermometer in the upper part of the fridge side that keeps track of temperature. My fridge is still freezing and my water line is again frozen. I've place a thermometer in the freezer to see what temperature it's keeping and sometimes it seems to be reading - 15 and -20 celcius. The same thermometer was placed in the fridge and seems to report warmer temps at the top of the fridge compared to the lower drawers and bottom shelf. Do you have idea what may be the problem? Is my fridge history? I hesitate to call the same company back again without a second opinion. Tahnk you in advance - Velvet

Yes, my fresh food has been freezing constantly (as was my water line for the water dispenser). This was the reason for my call to the repair company. We only had the initial (one time) incident of warmth on the fridge side.

Sometimes this is what happens. There is whats called a damper. A dampers job is to direct cold air flow. Lets say a door gets left open for example,(and there are many other causes) That damper can get frozen in place. It other words it can be stuck directing too much cold air to the fridge or the other way around. Not enough.

I have drawn an arrow to your damper and you should take a look at it. It appears to be in the freezer side. What you need to do is get it out and be sure it is not frozen in place and also look at that spring thats on it as it sometimes pops off. Just put it back where it goes its easy to see the 2 small holes where it connects.

I believe this will correct the problem you are having. I am very sure its a simple air flow problem.

I've taken the ice bucket out and all shelving. I see slats on the back of the freezer wall under the ice maker. There is one slat above the ice ejector, 4 slats under the ice ejector and 4 slats under the black box (i don't what part it is). Am I really going to ahve to remove the back of the freezer (inside) to get to it? It looks like I'll interupt the ice making equipment.

I need to ask. How many dampers are there on this model? The repair person who was here told me he tested the damper and he indicated it being on the fridge side ( right hand side when facing fridge) in the compartment where he changed the thermister. Where does the cold air for the deli drawer in the middle of the fridge blow cold air from?

I'm sorry for being such a novice at this but I'm trying to understand.

He replaced the thermister and tested it before he put it in. He said it was reading correctly. He also tested the original one and it showed to be off in it's temperature reading.

I just took off the cover in the fridge side (upper left corner) and there is a damper as you describe there with a spring and door. It is closed and everything seems to be intact as it should be including the spring. When I hold the door sensor closed it blows cool air as does the deli vent.

Re: the deli vent. I only ask because the fridge freezes everything at that level first - including my eggs. Items further away from that section manage to survive a bit longer but eventually begin freezing.

ok - may i ask some small questions though? What temperature should the freezer be at regularly? What are the optimum settings for the fridge and freezer? Also, is there a way to keep the alarm from sounding? It sounds regularly 2x a night to indicate temperature problems - i need my sleep :(

Is there a reset button on anything?? (i know there probably isn't but I wanted to ask)

I was looking for a return air duct, sometimes that causes freezing problems as well. It is located in some models right behind the veggie drawers. I have not spotted it yet but you may take a look behind the drawers and see.

I am sorry about the alarm I really understand. I do not know of a reset for that in an experience with a customer. I have not looked to see what would cause it either as I have been working on the cooling problem. But I will.

Heavier colder air can fall right thru that vent and push its way over to the fridge side. Its freezing air and it will freeze the food. And you did give the most common complaint which is frozen veggies which is where it comes into first. Its also quite common.

Yes, i did say that my vegetables, eggs, pickles, yogurt, meal leftovers etc. were freezing and not just in the drawers. We never had this problem before so.......does this mean there is no fix for it other then buying a new fridge? Could the freezer be too cold and that is why the cold air is pushing toward the fridge? We've always kept them at the second and third bars of the control panel.

I do not think you need a new unit, I think you need to get control over the one you have. Its obviously cooling and too much. I recommend you wait for another expert who may know what it is I do not. Its an airflow problem or an thermistor. Very minor repairs I wish I knew where it was but I do not. Other techs are looking.

just wanted you to know how much the damper is, this is about $160.00 so the tech wont get the better of you if you call one, hope this helps , Barry did a good job one this and just wanted you to have a second opinion, please accept Barry's answer not mine, thanks Bryan

Thanks for your added info. Barry and yourself have been great at answering my questions. Can you tell me how you know it's the damper assembly and how the damper assembly is to function? I've already spent close to $450 on repairing this fridge and am hesitant to put another couple of hundred dollars in it just to find out I have the same problem. Thanks in advance for your time. I will accept Bary's answer with a little more detail about the damper and how it is to operate. Again - Thank you :)

well the damper has a motor in it that opens and closes the little door to let the cold air into the fresh food section, its either bad or the damper itself is frozen and cant close, Barry sent you diagrams to show you where its located, you can try taking a hair dryer and warming it up and see if it moves then, I know its a lot of money so try that first, thanks Bryan

ok - thanks. I did take the spring off of the damper yesterday and reattach it plus I bought a new thermometer to keep track of temperatures overnight. So far this morning it is reading 4' Celcius so that is good. The alarm only went off once last night so I'm going to hope it will settle itself out. I'm offering it a package of fresh spinach as the sacrificial test case. Keep your fingers crossed for me :)

Ask an Appliance Technician

Get a Professional Answer. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.

148 Appliance Technicians are Online Now

Type Your Appliance Question Here...

characters left:

Disclaimer: Information in questions, answers, and other posts on this site ("Posts") comes from individual users, not JustAnswer; JustAnswer is not responsible for Posts. Posts are for general information, are not intended to substitute for informed professional advice (medical, legal, veterinary, financial, etc.), or to establish a professional-client relationship. The site and services are provided "as is" with no warranty or representations by JustAnswer regarding the qualifications of Experts. To see what credentials have been verified by a third-party service, please click on the "Verified" symbol in some Experts' profiles. JustAnswer is not intended or designed for EMERGENCY questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals.